Disney’s Encanto is packed with small details that add a lot more meaning to the characters’ stories, and one element that can be seen in different places throughout Encanto is butterflies, and they have a very special meaning. Although Disney has explored various genres and styles for decades, the studio is still best known for its animated movies, and its latest success is Encanto, directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard.

Encanto takes viewers to Colombia to meet the Madrigal family, led by matriarch Alma Madrigal a.k.a. Abuela (María Cecilia Botero). Years ago, while fleeing from an armed conflict, Alma lost her husband, Pedro, and was left alone with her baby triplets (Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno). By a miracle, Abuela’s candle got magical qualities, keeping them safe from their pursuers and building a sentient house for them, which they affectionately call "Casita". The candle continued to burn for decades, protecting Casita, the Madrigals, and the whole town, while also granting special gifts to each Madrigal descendant – except for Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), the first in the family to not get a gift during her ceremony. Mirabel felt left out of the family, but this led her to uncover some family mysteries related to her lost uncle, Bruno (John Leguizamo).

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In some of its latest movies, Disney has explored different cultures, and it has made sure to include as many little details, references, and pieces of symbolism in each movie as possible. Encanto is no exception, and viewers continue to find small details that hold a lot of meaning for the Madrigals and their stories, and one element found all over the movie is butterflies. These can be mostly seen on Mirabel’s blouse, on the walls of the kitchen and the nursery (where Mirabel lives), on the candle, on Abuela’s chatelaine, and in Bruno's vision, and they are not only a reference to Mirabel’s journey in Encanto but also to one of Colombia’s most famous writers: Gabriel García Márquez.

Encanto Writer Explains Butterflies On Mirabel’s Gift Ceremony Costume

Butterflies are associated with transformation and hope, and in some cultures, they are a symbol of rebirth and resurrection, which all apply to the Madrigals’ story, as they saw their family and house crumble and had to rebuild not only their house but also their relationship. Mirabel’s clothes having butterflies can symbolize how she’s the one who brings transformation and rebirth to the family, but they also have another meaning, especially those on Mirabel’s ceremony dress. Screenwriter Charise Castro Smith explained that the butterflies in Mirabel’s dress during her ceremony symbolize uncertainty, as she wasn’t sure what her gift was going to be. The yellow butterflies in Bruno’s vision and when Abuela and Mirabel embrace at the end of Encanto also have their own meaning, as these are seen as a symbol of happiness and imagination, serving as a good omen for the Madrigals.

The yellow butterflies are also a reference to García Márquez’s novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, in which these also appear. Like Encanto, One Hundred Years of Solitude tells a multi-generational story, where the patriarch founded a town, very much like Abuela did with the help of the candle’s miracle. The butterflies in different objects and places in Encanto definitely add to the emotional charge of the story and enhance it as well, and they are also a subtle but very interesting reference to one of Colombia’s most famous artists.

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